Means for protecting mechanisms



March 24, 1936. E. c. EKSTROMER MEANS FOR PROTECTING MECHANISMS Filed Sept. 22, 1934 A e L W i \\\\\w m 4 x. .1. HQ E 5 MR 7 v K o H w a 7/ V mf. m .wm m fiiw v g w n\ A A W D E T N 9 6 226 3 3 32 3 3. @Wfififi lfi I y 4fld u M W w i 1 V I 1|} Z w 2 am Patented Mar. 24, 1936 MEANS FOR PROTECTING MECHANISMS Edward C. Ekstromer, Los Gatos, Calif., assignor of one-half to Calif.

Homer J. Lloyd, Los Gatos,

Application September 22, 1934, SerialENo. 745,162

8 Claims.

This invention relates generally to means for protecting mechanisms by removing liquids from locations wherein the liquids, if uncontrolled, would subsequently come into contact with the mechanisms and either damage or destroy the latter, and the invention is more particularly a continuation in part of the invention disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 655,287, filed February 4, 1933, and allowed December 27, 1933.

The invention makes use of a reciprocally mounted receptacle carried by the mechanism to be protected for collecting liquid and preventing same from reaching the mechanism and a displacement piston reciprocally mounted on a pump rod and co-operable with the receptacle to cause forced ejection of liquid in the receptacle and a discharge thereof from said pump rod. An object of the invention is to provide positively acting means for maintaining operative alinement of the receptacle with the piston and to prevent complete separation of the receptacle from the piston during actuations of the pump rod and for insuring complete evacuation of the liquid during one position of relative adjustment of the piston and receptacle.

With the above and other objects in View, which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangements of parts which will hereinafter be fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a single and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitations are necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of q the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing,

Figure l is a vertical sectional view illustrating the means embodying this invention, in association with an enclosure for a mechanism to be protected against liquid from an exterior source;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, and illustrating another position occupied by the means embodying this invention.

As in my aforestated co-pending application, this invention, in its present embodiment, is shown for the purpose of illustration associated with a mechanism which includes a crosshead l adapted to be reciprocated during operation of the mechanism to impart a corresponding movement to a member II in the form of a rod which is secured at one end to the crosshead and operates through a wall of a closed chamber l2 defined by a casing l3 enclosing the mechanism.

The Wall of the chamber through which the member I l extends exteriorly of the chamber for connection to a part (not shown) to be actuated by the member is defined by a plug M threadedly secured in the casing to close the chamber. A packing gland I5 is associated with the member H and includes packing i6 seating in a recess I? in the plug M, and a nut 18 threaded into the plug to compress the packing.

Assuming that the casing is disposed in a vertical position in a water or oil well, for example,

so that the casing is submerged in the liquid with the member H projecting upwardly from the easing into the liquid, a leakage of liquid between the member II and the wall of the chamber into the latter will occur during reciprocation of the member, notwithstanding the provision of the packing gland I5.

In order to positively protect the enclosed mechanism against liquid leakage into the chamber I 2 as aforestated, a means is provided for collecting and ejecting the liquid from the casing before the liquid reaches the mechanism below the crosshead l0. In the present instance, this means comprises a receptacle in the form of a circular cup l9 secured in any suitable manner to the upper end of the crosshead l0 and having concentrically related annular skirts 20 and 2|, the latter being of less length than the former and spaced apart therefrom to provide an intervening well 22 therebetween. The wall of the skirt 2| defines a cylindrical chamber 23 in which a piston 24 is mounted to reciprocate and to slide on the member I i, its movement in one direction being limited by a stop collar 25 on said member. The position of the stop collar is such relatively to the chamber 23 that the piston can never entirely leave said chamber. Sealing rings 26 and 2'! between the walls of the skirt 2i and the walls of the piston are employed to enable' the piston to have a fiuid tight fit in the chamber 23.

The lower end of the member II is provided with a standing valve 28 which works between a cage 29 in the axial bore 30 of the member I l and the axial port 3! in the body member 32. The member 32 is formed with a transverse port 33 which is alined with radial ports 34 in the member I I, whereby communication is established between the chamber 23 and said ports 33 and 34 by means of which liquid in the chamber can be ejected into the axial bore 30 when the piston 24 has been fully lowered into said well, as shown in Figure 2, and laterally discharged from the bore 30 through the radial ports 35 in said member I I and at a point above the top of the plug I4.

A vertical guide rod 36, carried by the bottom wall of the cup [9, extends into a vertical bore 31 in the piston 24 and. between the closed wall of the bore and the upper end of the rod 36 is a coiled compression spring 38 which serves to urge the piston toward the stop collar 25 when the parts are in the relative positions shown in Figure 1.

On the under side of the plug i4 is an annular collar 39 into which the upper reduced end of the piston 24 is adapted to be received on the full upstroke position of the crosshead ID, at

which time the lower end of said collar will engage against the flange 4!! of the piston, thus forcing the piston into chamber 23 as shown in Figure 2. Also at this time, the stop collar 25 will have moved away from the piston and will be arrested by the walls of the cavity ll inthe lower face of said plug [4. It will be noted that the piston 23 is formed with a diagonal port 42 whose upperend is closed by the annular wall 23 when the piston is in the position just above referred to, whereby fluid contained in the chamber 23 will be compelled to flow through the ports 34, 33 and 3!, thence through the ports 35 by way of the bore 33, the valve 28 being in an open position. An air breather tube 43 carried by the bottom wall of the cup l9 extends into arecess 44 in the piston, and same has a slot 45 which opens, respectively, into the bore of the tube and the diagonal port 45 in the piston to vent the chamber 23 to the chamber 12 through a bleed orifice 41 in said tube, as will be understood on reference to Figure 1.

On reference to Figure l, the piston is at its upward limit of adjustment, at which time the port 46 opens into the chamber l2 and. the port 42 to the well 22 between the walls 20 and 2i,

the top of the piston being engaged by the stop 25 on member I ll. Any liquid in the well 22-that shall have overflowed into the chamber 23 will be acted upon by the piston when the ports occupy the relative positions shown in Figure 2. In Figure 2, it will be observed that the collar 39 has engaged the flange 4!] on piston 24, thereby forcing same into chamber 23. In so doing, the ports 42 and 46 will close and the liquid in chamber 23 will be forced vertically upward by the standing valve, through the bore of member ll, thence laterally from said bore by way of the ports 35. On the down stroke of member I l, the piston will again occupy the position shown in Figure 1, thus opening the ports '42 and 46 and allowing the liquid in space 22 to flow into chamber 23.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination, with a casing having a liquid collecting mechanism, including a cup having a central chamber and a surrounding liquid space, of a ported piston co-operable with the chamber and the space and adapted when in one position to dispose its port relatively to the space to enable liquid to flow from the latter into the chamber and when in another position to close the port from the space and to force the liquid out of the chamber, and means for actuating the piston and including a valved member through which liquid from the chamber is adapted to flow.

2. The combination, with a casing and a reciprocal member therein having a liquid discharge bore, of liquid collecting mechanism carried by the member and including a liquid chamber and a piston reciprocably mounted therein, the bore of the member being in communication with the chamber, means for moving the piston in one direction, and means in the casing for moving the piston in an opposite direction.

3. For use as described, a reciprocal member having a liquid discharge bore, a cup carried by the member and having a space in which liquid can be received and a chamber into which liquid can flow from the space, and a piston mounted to reciprocate in the chamber and having a port for b-y-passing liquid into the chamber from the space and means for venting the chamber while by-passing the liquid as aforestated.

4. For use as described, a casing, a reciprocal member in the casing, a liquid holding cup carried by the member, a piston slidable on the member and operating in the cup, the member having a liquid discharge bore opening to the cup beneath the piston, means for limiting the movement of the piston relatively to the cup, means for moving the piston in one direction and means on the member for moving the piston in an opposite direction.

5. A cup having an annular space and a central chamber, the chamber being of less depth than the space, and a piston operating in the cup and having means for by-passing liquid from the space to the chamber.

6. A cup having an annular space and a central chamber, the chamber being of less depth than the space, and a piston having means for by-passing liquid to the chamber from the space and including a reciprocal member on which the piston is adapted toslide and upon which the cup is carried, the member having a liquid discharge bore opening into the chamber beneath the piston.

7. A cup having an annular space and a central chamber, a piston reciprocably mounted in the chamber, means for by-passing liquid to the chamber from the space, the piston formed to co-act with the cup to seal the chamber from the space during one movement of the piston, and an air vent carried by the cup and co -operable with the chamber and the cup to vent the chamber when the piston is in one position in the chamber.

8. A liquid cup having an upwardly opening liquid receiving space and a chamber co-operable with the space to receive liquid therefrom, and a reciprocal piston in the chamber for ejecting liquid therefrom.

EDWARD C. EKSTROMER. 

